The summe of Christian religion: deliuered by Zacharias Vrsinus in his lectures vpon the Catechism autorised by the noble Prince Frederick, throughout his dominions: wherein are debated and resolued the questions of whatsoeuer points of moment, which haue beene or are controuersed in diuinitie. Translated into English by Henrie Parrie, out of the last & best Latin editions, together with some supplie of wa[n]ts out of his discourses of diuinitie, and with correction of sundrie faults & imperfections, which ar [sic] as yet remaining in the best corrected Latine.

4 Why it was necessarie, that the two natures should bee vnited in the person or subsistence of the sonne of God.

FOR what cause Christ our Mediatour was to bee toge∣ther both a true and perfect iust man, and true, that is, by nature GOD, hath beene declared of vs before in the common place of the Mediatour, in the 4 question pag. 237. For the woorke of our redemption could not haue bin compassed and finished by the Mediator without the con∣currence of diuers natures & operations in the same per∣son. For albeit he suffred & died in the flesh, yet his passion and suffering would not haue that force and efficacy to re∣deeme, iustifie, & sanctifie vs, neither could christ haue ap∣plied

those benefites vnto vs except he had bin withal true and natural God.

Of the Incarnation of the Word, the confession made by the Fathers of Antioch against Pau∣lus Samosatenus, TAKEN OVT OF THE ACTES OF THE FIRST EPHESINE COVNCEL.

VVEE confesse our Lord Iesus Christ begotten before all worlds of his Father, but in the last times borne according to the flesh of the Virgine by the holy Ghost, subsisting in one per∣son onely, made of the celestiall God-head and humane flesh. Whole God, and whole man. Whole God also with his bodie but not accor∣ding to his body, god. Whole man also with his God head, but not according to his God head, man. Againe, whole adorable also with his bodie, but not according to his bodie, adorable. Whole adoring also with his Godhead, but not according to his godhead, adoring. Whole increat also with his body, but not according to his body, in∣created. Whole formed also with his Godhead, but not according to his godhead, formed. Whole consubstantial with god also with his body, but not according to his body, consubstantiall: as neither also, according to his Godhead he is coessentiall with men: but hee is ac∣cording to the flesh consubstantiall vnto vs existing also in his Godhead. For when wee say hee is according to the spirit consub∣stantiall with God, wee doe not say hee is according to the spirit coessentiall with men. And contrarily, when wee affirme him to bee according to the flesh c••nsubstantiall with men, we doe not affirme him to bee according to the fleshe consubstantial with God. For as according to the spirit he is not consubstantial with vs▪ (For accor∣ding to this he is consubstantial with God:) So of the other side he is not according to the flesh coessentiall with god: but according to this he is consubstantiall with vs. And as wee pronounce these to bee distinct & diuerse one from the other, not to bring in a di∣uision of one vndiuided person, but to note the distinction and vnconfoundablenes of the natures and properties of the Word and the flesh; so we affirme and worship those as vnited, which make to the manner of the vndiuided vnion or composition.

Vigilius Lib. 4. against Eutyches.

IF there be one nature of the Word & the flesh, how then, seeing the Word is euery where, is not the flesh also found euery where? For when it was in the earth, it was not verily in heauen: and now

because it is in heauen, it is not verily in the earth: and in so much it is not, as that as touching it wee looke for Christ to come from heauen, whom as touching the Word we beleeue to bee in the earth with vs. Wherefore according to your opinion, either the Word is cōteined in place with the flesh, or the flesh is euery where with the Word, where as one nature doth not receiue any contrarie or diuers thing in it selfe, and it is a thing diuerse and far vnlike, to be circumscribed in place, and to be euerie where: and seeing the Word is euerie where, and the flesh is not euerie where; it is appa∣rent, that one and the same Christ is of both natures, and is euerie where as touching the nature of his Godhead, but is not euerie∣where as touching the nature of his manhood: is created, and hath no beginning: is subiect to death, and cannot die: the one he hath by the nature of the Word, whereby hee is god▪ the other by the nature of his flesh, whereby the same God is man. Wherefore that one son of God, and the same made the sonne of man, hath a beginning by the nature of his flesh, and hath no beginning by the nature of his Godhead: was created by the nature of his flesh, and was not crea∣ted by the nature of his godhead: circumscribed in place by the na∣ture of his flesh, and not conteined in any place by the nature of his Godhead: is lower also than the Angels by the nature of his flesh, and is equal with the father according to the nature of his God-head: died by the nature of his flesh, and neuer died by the na∣ture of his Godhead. This is the Catholique faith and confession, which the Apostles deliuered, the martyrs established, and the faithfull hitherto holde and mainetaine.

Now haue wee in few wordes expounded those articles of the Apostolique creede, which intreate of the per∣son of Christ; and haue withall declared in the exposition thereof; those things which are necessarie for vs to knowe, both of the diuinitie of Christ, and of his humane nature, which was taken by the Word of the seede of Dauid, vnited personally with the Word by the vertue of the holy ghost, and begotten in maruelous nanner of the Virgines sub∣stance. And it was requisite not to suffer that any sinne should passe or bee deriued into his substance, 1. Because hee was to satisfie for sinne. 2. Because it was not conuenient or meet that the Woorde the sonne of God, should take a nature defiled with sinne.

To beleeue then in the son of God conceiued by the holy ghost, is to beleeue 1. That he was made man after a marueilous man∣ner,

and that hee was made one Christ of a diuine and an humane nature. 2. That hee being so holily conceiued and borne doth pur∣chase for vs the right and power to bee the sonnes of God. Be∣cause this person is sufficient & able to recouer for vs our lost righteousnes, and to bestowe it on vs. For hee is vnited with the Worde, that is, hee is true and naturall God and man, such as the Mediatour ought to bee. Hee will also per∣forme this, because he was borne to this end, euen to sanctifie vs. Of al these euerie one of vs may certainlie col∣lect and conclude, That this Christ is our Mediatour. And the reason of this collection and consequence is: Because by this, that he is the only begotten Sonne of God, it is manifest that Christ is true God, consubstantial, coeternal, and equall with the Father. By his holy conception and natiuitie, it is also manifest that hee is true man, and that perfectly iust, and vnited with the God-heade or Woord: and such a one was it requisite our Mediatour should be.